CBI books deputy director, ROC, in bribery case

MUMBAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s Mumbai unit has booked a deputy director at the Registrar of Companies (ROC), Mumbai, for allegedly seeking a bribe of ₹30 to 35 lakh from a city-based businessman’s firm in return for favours. It was alleged that the accused officer, Sai Shankar Landa, had initially sought a bribe of ₹2 crore from the businessman before reducing the demand to ₹30 to 35 lakh for favouring his firm in an investigation being conducted by the ROC.
In his complaint to the CBI, based on which the CBI’s anti-corruption branch registered a case on Tuesday against Landa, the businessman alleged that the accused had initially sought a bribe of ₹2 crore for preparing a “favourable report” in the course of the then investigation being conducted by the ROC, Mumbai, against his firm. But as the complainant did not want to give undue advantage to the accused, he approached the CBI with a complaint on April 23, CBI sources said.
The CBI later verified separately the contents of the complaint in the presence of independent witnesses on the same day. The verification allegedly established that the accused officer had brought down his bribe demand to ₹30 to 35 lakh, the sources said. “The contents of complaint and verification conducted in the presence of panch witnesses prima facie disclosed the commission of an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act,” said a CBI source.
To proceed against the accused officer, the CBI sought and obtained the necessary approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act from the Competent Authority for conducting an investigation against him. A case was registered against the accused on Tuesday under Section 7 (demand of undue advantage by any public servant) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
CGST offices booked
The CBI’s Mumbai unit on Tuesday also booked three officials of the Central Goods and Services Taxes (CGST), Belapur Commissionerate, Navi Mumbai, including an assistant commissioner, for allegedly demanding and obtaining a bribe of ₹6 lakh from a Belapur firm for favours related to assessment/ dropping of demand related to service tax/ penalties. The CBI booked the CGST’s assistant commissioner Suhas Bhalerao, superintendent Rajesh Kumar and inspector Subham Mahapatra.
Two of the accused officials, Bhalerao and Mahapatra, had earlier been arrested in an alleged bribery case during trap proceedings on March 15 this year by the CBI for demanding and obtaining a bribe of ₹1.5 lakh from a firm’s representative for favours related to service tax assessment/ penalties. During the questioning in the March case, Mahapatra allegedly disclosed the details related to the bribe transactions in another case, for which the CBI booked the three CGST officials on Tuesday.
Mahapatra had allegedly revealed that on March 12, Bhalerao gave him ₹2 lakh in cash, which was a bribe given by a technology firm’s representative for favours related to favourable assessment and dropping of demand for service tax / penalty, for distribution between Mahapatra and Superintendent Kumar, which they did by taking ₹1 lakh each. Subsequently, the firm’s representative submitted a complaint against the accused to the CBI on March 15.
As per the complaint, Bhalerao had initially demanded ₹15 lakh for the favours but later reduced the demand to ₹6 lakh, which was paid allegedly to him on March 12. Two days later, Bhalerao allegedly issued an order, dropping the demand related to service tax / penalty.